Mount for machine guns



May 29, 192.8.

, w. T. GORTON MOUNT FOR MACHINE arms 2 Sheets-Sheet Filed Aug. 20, 1925 ZI-vvucwfoz Walte r T- G r: rtnn May 29, 1928. 1,671,281

W. T. GORTON MOUNT FOR MACHINE GUNS Filed Aug. 20, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I simplicity, light weighufacility in goingin- WALtEER :n. GORTON, on THE UNITED STATES ARMY, SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

MOUNT FOR. MACHINE GUNS.

Application filed August 2 1925. Serial No. 51,4 2.

enem mun riiuraovxsious or v1:21:11 ACT or Mason 3, 1,883, 22 sum. 1 525.)

proyiding a more stable mount to safeguard advancing t oops. The 'eflorts directed to exhibit a tendency towards 00mphe ting the m nt a n easing it W i featll 'fis which areundesirable,since the inal i eim a s' be n fie ely as a a "infantry eapon and must be capable of accompanying it in the advance.

The principal object of. the present invent on is t p o id a, igid an st bl oun possessing the 'essential' characteristics of to action and convenience in folding for transportation. i

H In attaining this end, the triangular ar-' rangement of the members of the typical mount is adhered to for the purpose of securing rigidity, but a departure"from the customary disposition of the members has been made. 7 In the conyentional tripod mount there is proyided but a single, relatively long, and generally fixed leg which constitutes the trail and a pair of .front legs which, as a rule, are compactly and adjustably secured to the tripod head. In the present invention this arrangement reversed, the double or splittrail affording greater rigidity for firing and conyen'ience in folding for transportation as well asperginitting aIoW mountinga'nd a simple proyision for d rectly supporting the rear of the gun.

The tripod head is essentially a' strong hinge, each leaffc arrying one of the trail end means for attachingthe eleyating mechafnism. This latter arrangement permits of a j'light construction of the yoke and hinge pin gsince "the thrust ,of the gun is resisted throughout the full length of the tripod head.

T t ese will th eees i e ee se I sists in the construction, arrangement, and mb nation of e emen s, d s r ed here afterand pointed out in the claims forming apart of this specification.'

A practical'embodiment'of the invention leaves forming the tripodhead of'Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is" a sectional .yiexiv on the line 6%6 ofFigl; and? i 7 a' eetienei tier Q t e 1iee7+ ofFig.'5." i v Referring to the drawings by numerals of ef c v. p i

1 The mount is inthefo'rm of a tripod, the head oif'which comprises st n s 5" made tip of the leayesi6 6f having Yalternatingjeyes 'thro'ugh-yiihichpasses a 'hi n'gepifi '8 conig. 4 is a sectional the lineH Fig. 5 is a yertical sectional yiew of the tripod h E is 'illustratedlin the accompanying drawings,

stituting the front legl'of the mount.

leaf 'ispr'ovided v'it h an" upper "9"andi a laser lug 10"to which are respectively jbiiied a trail leg'll aiidan adjusting *brace' I2. The 'jo'ints are preferably formed v'v'ith col'ii ps1 engaging suffices. ""di'cated at 1,3 the elimination "of i lost linot ionl Fixed to eachlt'rail leg'adjacent. its foot is ing in recesses '16 on the brace 12".- ainine ha d e r ede e the r ieee u; secure the lirace'in selected p sition. "The provided to iii the trail ieg yiiith' respect )to the tripod head'andto permit indiyidu'al .adjustah lity a u'i tiau v the aizis oftraverse may he maintained a yert'ical position when erectingtripodlon un ve gro n By ,lre s i e [t e he gh a collar 14 carrie's'a' pin 15' for s so that th e v s 6&6, n the l rge. r a 91 the r bea i ig S fa e [the ii l leg iii i l nn nf liiifl l pi i i i i ifiheq fheie l'lby'fi en of a "lo k ng-. 1" e e -Pi g lfllellvic?w Y I I 1 Spread oi he t i l s will b ab t 6 with apertured we 15 for ,thjeflattac menfj f a tie rod 19 to secure the'trail ig's'lii the'nor= mal open uq it on. '1

3 fires? lee e i ee pie 11$ med its upper end with a yoke 20 for trunnioning the gun, while its lower end terminates in apoint 21 tofacilitate entrance into the ground. For convenience, in assembling, the foot of the front leg is preferably a composite unit consisting'of a split collar 22 held against the lowermost 'eye 7 by means of a nut 23 threadedon the leg and receivable in a recessin the collar. The nut is headed and of ,con venient shape for contact with the ground. I 7

Th collar pivotally carries a sleeve '24 provided at its upper endwith any suitable locking device .25 for locking an elevating screw26 which is adapted to be attached to the gun for the support of vits rear end and, to'serve'as a means for moving the gun about its'trunnio'ns. A hand wheel 27 for actuating the screw 26 rests onthe sleeve and operates; in a well known manner.

In, traversing the gun, the front leg 8 and elevating mechanism-move as a unit, the latterbeingin suohrelation with'respect' to the trail legs thatthe amplitude of tr'averse'is defined thereby. This prevents the gunner from inadvertently moving the gun beyond the spread of thetrail legs and insures stability during firing.

Suitable meansgfor ,locklng the gun in position of azimuth may be provided at any convenient point, a preferredlocation being centrally in the tripod head and .indicated ,bythelocking handle 28 which may actuate a clamp (not shown) into and out of en- ,gagementwith the front leg 8. x

The favorablj low mountlngof" the gun tomv of the front leg the thrust is better resisted and a separatecradle need not be employed e I In foldingthe tripod, the two trail legs are ordinarily simply swung'together. thus .illustrated and described such-combination and arrangement of elementsyas' constitute making a neat-assembly for transportation.

If a more compact folding is desired it is evident from the construction of the joints that the trail legs and the adjusting braces may Parallel the trip vWhile inthe foregolng there has been 7 the preferred embodiment'of my invention, it

is nevertheless desiredto emphasizefthe fact thatinterpretation of the invention should. only be conclusive when made in the light of s the: subjoined claims;

I claim: I I 1. A mount for machine guns embodymg a hinge, the hinge pin constituting the front leg of the mount, a trail leg pivotally' secured to the upper end of each hinge leaf,

a brace pivoted to the lower end thereof,-

means for selectively securing the brace to the trail 'leg adjacent its foot, a yoke'on theupper end of the hinge pin for trunnioningfa gun, a' collar on the lower end thereof, an elevating mechanism pivoted to the collar, a headed nut threaded on the hinge pin for retaining the collar,said nut constituting the footof the hinge pin.

,2. A mount for machine guns embodying a hinge,,the hinge pin constituting the front leg of the mount, a trail leg pivotally secured to the upper end of each hinge leaf, a brace pivoted to the lower end thereof,means for selectively securing the brace to the trail leg,

a yoke on the upper end of the hinge pin for trunnioning a. gun, a collar on the-lower end thereof, an elevating'me'chanism pivoted to the collar, and means forming the foot of thehingepin, for retaining-the collar. c

3. A mount for machine guns embodyinga hinge in" which :the hinge spin constitutes" the front leg ofthe mount, a trail leg pivoted to the upper end of each [hinge leaf,

means on each leaf for ,adjustably securing aleg, a ,y0ke on the upper end ofthe hinge pin for trunnioning a gun, a foot on said pin, a collar retained thereon by said foot and an elevating mechanism pivoted to the collar. f. a i v v.

4. A mount for machine guns embodying a hinge in which the hinge pin constitutes the frontleg of the mount, a trail leg pivoted to the upper. end of each hinge leaf,

means on each leaf for adjustably securing a leg, a yoke on the upper end of-the hinge pin for trunnioning a gun, afoot on. said pin, andan elevating'mechanism. adapted to be carriedby the'fo'ot.

5. A mount for" machine guns embodying,

a hinge in whichthe hinge .pin constitutes the front leg of the mount, a .trail leg pivoted to the upper end of each hinge leaf, means on each leaf for adjustably securing a leg, a

yoke on the upperend of the hinge pin for 'trunnioning a gun, anda foot on said pin. 6. A mount for. machmeguns embodying a pair of hingeQleaves, a trailileg pivoted to each leaf, means :for adjustably securing each trail leg, and a hinge pinincluding a yoke constituting the front leg of the mount.

7. A mount for machine guns embodying a pair of hinge leaves, a trail leg pivoted to each leaf, means for adjustably' securing eachtrail leg, and a hingepinconstituting the front leg. of themount. v V

8, A tripod mount embodying a pair of hinged trail members having vertical adjusta'bility, and a member serving as a hinge pin and constituting the front leg of the mount."

9. A tripod mount embodying a pair'of hinged trail members, and a'member'serw ing as a. hinge pin and constituting the front leg of the mount.

10. A tripod mount embodying a fixed front leg and a pair of trail legs mounted for both horizontal and vertical adjustability with respect to said fixed leg.

11. A tripod mount embodying a fixed front leg, and a pair of trail legs pivoted to said leg.

12A mount for machine guns embodying a fixed front leg, a pair of trail members, and an elevating mechanism carried by the front leg and adapted to be limited in traverse by the trail members.

13. A mount for machine guns embodying hinged trail members, the hinge extending practically the height of the mount, and a hinge pin constituting the front leg of the mount.

14c. A mount for machine guns embodying a head, a. pair of trail legs secured thereto, and a front leg positioned axially of the gun.

WALTER T. GORTON. 

